Carmen Sylva RS Tillowitz

Q: I'd like information about this vase. It's marked "Carmen-Sylva" and "Tillowitz." The letters "RS" are in a wreath and "EPOS" is written across a globe. Underneath that is written "handausgearbeitet." Who made it and what is it worth?

A: The "EPOS" mark was used by Reinhold Schlegelmilch Porcelain Factory in Tillowitz, Silesia, Germany (now Tulovice, Poland). The company started out in Suhl in 1869 and moved to Tillowitz in 1932. It went out of business about 1938. Pieces by this company are known to collectors as RS Prussia or RS Germany in the United States. "Carmen-Sylva" was the pen name used by Queen Elisabeth of Romania (1843-1916), the consort of King Carol I. She wrote poetry, folklore and other works. The word "handausgearbeitet" means "hand drawn," indicating your vase is hand decorated. You didn’t indicate the size of your vase. Price is determined by size and the design. An 8-inch vase is worth about $300.